Browns draft pick Armonty Bryant charged with DUI in Oklahoma

This undated booking photo provided by the Ada Police Department shows Armonty Bryant. Bryant, whom the Cleveland Browns selected last month with the 217th overall pick in the NFL football draft, was arrested Friday, May 3, 2013, in Ada, Okla., according to a police report obtained by The Associated Press. Bryant was charged Monday with driving under the influence of alcohol, the latest legal trouble for the defensive end. He was charged in Pontotoc County District Court and a court appearance was scheduled for Tuesday, May 6. (AP Photo/Ada Police Department)

The 263-pound defensive lineman from tiny East Central University in Ada, Okla., was arrested at 3:45 a.m. Friday. He was charged Monday with driving under the influence of alcohol. The legal blood-alcohol limit for Oklahoma is .08. Bryant registered .098, according to the police report.

The Browns selected him in the seventh round with the 217th overall pick in the draft on April 27.

According to the report, Bryant was pulled over because he made a left turn after failing to signal until his car came to a stop at a stop sign on campus. The report said Bryant told the arresting officer he was driving a friend home from a party and had not been drinking. He later admitted to having a few drinks.

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According to the police report, the arresting officer had to administer the breathalyzer more than 10 times before Bryant completed it successfully.

Bryant was charged on Monday and has a court appointment scheduled for Tuesday.

"We are aware of the incident and are now in the process of collecting more information," The Browns said in a statement released Monday. We will not have any further comment."

Bryant, like all rookies from the 2013 draft, is not yet under contract with the Browns.

This isn't Bryant's first brush with the law.

Last year, Bryant was arrested on a felony charge of selling marijuana to an undercover agent in a school zone. He pleaded no contest in October and was given a five-year deferred sentence with two years of supervised probation.

It is unclear how this latest episode will affect terms of his earlier sentencing.

"Good people make mistakes,' is something that I've always been told by my head coach," Bryant said in a conference call, referring to the marijuana conviction, six days before the DUI arrest. "I feel like it was just a stupid move on my part. I should have been more mature about the situation and be more focused on football, which is something I really want to do with my life.

"Now that I've gotten that second chance, I feel like I won't let anyone down. I won't let myself, the people around me or the Cleveland Browns down. I appreciate them for taking this chance on me."

The Browns were convinced his remorse was sincere.

"Through the course of looking into his background with (defensive line coach) Coach (Joe) Cullen out there, as well as our scouting staff, we felt like he is passed the mistakes that he has made and ready to move on," Coach Rob Chudzinski said on April 27, the day Bryant was drafted. "He has matured."

Bryant made 54 tackles with 10 1/2 sacks in eight games last fall. Chudzinski said Bryant can be an "explosive pass rusher coming off the edge.